Improvement in water-lifters



UNITED 'STATES PATENT FFICE.

LORENZO B. LAWRENCE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AND ALFRED G. STRAWBRIDGE, OF SHARON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IM PROVEM ENT IN WATER-Ll FTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,639, dated May 20, 1879 application filed February 26, 1879.

To all whom timely concern:

Be it known that we, LORENZO B. LAW- RENCE, of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California, and ALFRED G. STRAW- BRIDGE, of Sharon, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a Water-Lifter; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings. l

Our invention relates to a novel construction for a water-lifting apparatus; and it consists of a boiler or receiver, which is set into a heating-furnace, and has a pipe leading from near the bottom to a tank situated above it.

A float situated in the boiler operates a valve, which closes an opening in the upper part of the boiler, so that the pressure of the steam generated within the boiler will force the water into the upper tank, thus driving out the air from this tank into the water-lifting tank below.

When the water in the boiler is lowered to a certain point the 'iloat will open the valve and allow the steam to escape, thus relieving the pressure and allowing the water to flow back from the upper tank into the boiler. A jet of water enters the upper tank and cools it sufficiently to relieve thewater-tank from pressure and allow it to iill again through a valve in one side. f

A is a receiver or boiler, which is set over a furnace, B, by which it is heated. This furnace consists of a suitably-shaped disk having a rim around it, so that it can be filled with sand or other granulated refractory material. A pipe, C, brings petroleum or other inflammable substance from a reservoir into this disk, and the sand acts as a wick, upon which it burns. Through the bottom of this disk a number of draft-pipes, D, pass and supply air from below to the center for the purposes of combustion. By feeding the oil into the sand wick slowly we can regulate the heat, so as to operate the machine at whatever rate may be desired.A

The boiler has a pipe, E, which opens into it about one-third the distance from the bottom, and leads thence upward into the tank F. This tank is lined with wood or other nonconducting substance, and has a pipe, G, leadwhich is situated below the source of the water-supply, and has an in gress-valve, I, and a discharge-pipe, J.

Within the boiler is a stem, K, havingl a valve, L, upon its upper end,'wl1ich may be of any suitable form, and a float, M, moves loosely up and down this stem. Adjustable stops N upon the stem limit the movement of the float, so that when it strikes the upper stop it raises the stem K and closes the valve L.

The steam which thus forms within the boiler will force the water out through the pipe E and up into the tank F, displacing the air therein, and forcing it down to act upon the water in the tank H, and force it out through the discharge-pipe J.

When the water iu the boiler has fallen to a point as low as is desirable or safe the float will strike the lever of the adjustable stops, and thus open the valve L to allow the accumulated steam to escape by means of the pipe O. This relieves the pressure within the boiler and allows the water to iiow back from the u pper tank, F, and again ll the boiler until the iloat hasrisen so as to strike the upper stop and close the valve again, when the action is repeated.

When the water flows out of the tank F a pipe, P, at the top admits a small quantity of water, which, cooling the interior of this tank, brings the air back from the tank H and relieves the pressure therein, so that it may again fill with water; or, in some cases, checkvalves may be used and a new charge of air admitted to the cylinder.

The action of the apparatus is thus made automatic, and similar to that of a hydraulic 2. The boiler A, with its Valve L, operating boiler by the pipes E and a, and the Waterrod and lloat, and the water or steanl dis. tank H, With its pipes G and J, and the inohai'ge pipes E and a, in combination with gress-valve, the Whole operating substantially the tank F and pressure-pipe G and the Waas and for the purpose herein described.

ter-jet pipes P, substantially as herein de- In Witness whereof Wehave hereunto set our scribed. hands.

3. The automatic water-lifting apparatus LORENZ() B. LAWRENCE. consist-ing of the heating-furnace and the ALFRED G. STRAWBRIDGE. boiler A, with its valve L, oat M, and the Witnesses: operating rod and stops, as shown, in combi- R. K. EVANS,

nation with the tank F, connected with the FRANK A. BRooKs. 

